Great Public Schools...

The biggest investment aside from your home is in your children and their education. Homestead Farm is a neighborhood that allows you to take advantage of great public schools. It all starts at the elementary level, and around here, it starts with a bang.
Lois Lenski Elementary is one of the highest rated elementary schools in not only the state, but the country (the US Department of Education has named it a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence). Along with being academic accolades, Lenski has been awarded the National Library of the Year (2004) from the American Library Association. Lenski also has a phenomenal art program.
So the kids are really starting to look old, and with that comes middle school, and in this case, Isaac Newton Middle School. Newton is a very well rounded school from the music and performing arts programs to math and the sciences. While not a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, I can speak personally to Newton's prowess (I went there way back when) and curriculum. Science labs, wood/metal shops, physical education and great field trips will help get the kids through the awkward stage of life we call middle school.

They are starting to become young adults, and aside from asking yourself how you got here so quickly is the need to challenge them as such. Arapahoe High School has been doing just that for almost half a century. Also a US Department of Education Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, AHS is one of the best high schools in the nation. Pushing teenagers in every area of academia imaginable (trust me, this is not an exaggeration) principal Ron Booth will get your children as well prepared as possible for college. Arapahoe boasts a graduation rate of over 94%, with a majority of graduates attending secondary education. Arapahoe excels in all areas, especially athletics (numerous state champions and runner-ups), band (multiple international and domestic trips) and in advanced placement classes.

Home is Whenever I'm With You

We all know that your home doesn't end at the front door. This is another aspect that makes Homestead Farm just that much better. When you make Homestead Farm your home, you are choosing to be part of a community that has been developing for over 30 years.

A short walk from anywhere in the neighborhood are the tennis courts and neighborhood pool. Our tennis courts have been completely resurfaced and leveled within the last five years, providing a great place to let loose in the cool evening after a hard day of work. Right across from the tennis courts is the neighborhood pool, where multiple generations of kids have grown up, by both spending their free time in the afternoon and through the swim team.
Every summer the entire neighborhood rallies around the Mighty Tarpons. Starting at age 4 on the Mini-Tarps, kids are immersed in a great sport from the get-go. From there they progress to the main team at age 7, and then can swim every summer until age 18. Although it always pained me to wake up so early in the summer for practice, I genuinely loved every minute of being a Tarpon. The team is part of the Rocky Mountain Swim League, which means that we compete against a ton of surrounding neighborhoods. Swim team is a great experience for all kids, and speaking as one that moved to Homestead Farm when I was 11, it was a great way to meet the neighborhood and make friends. I would recommend trying out the Mighty Tarpons to everyone.
Seasonal neighborhood events such as the summer kick-off party on Memorial Day, the 4th of July pool party and camping trip and the holiday luminaries and carriage ride provide great opportunities to get together with your neighbors and celebrate. Grilling, beer and good times are in abundance at the pool on both Memorial Day and the 4th. When it comes time to bundle up, the kids love the horse-drawn carriage ride. Set in the evening with all of the neighborhood streets lined with luminaries, cider (and possibly something a bit stronger) and a bon fire keep everyone warm on their throwback trip through the neighborhood.

Location, locati, loca

Everyone wants to find any area where they want to live. But what makes a good location? This answer is going to be different from one person to the next. From one family member to the next. Finding an area that can accomodate the most needs of everyone is huge. Homestead Farm, and Centennial for that matter, are not for everyone, but it is perfect for some. Think of it now: great schools, great people, great amenities and great homes. Depending on what you are looking for, this could be your perfect fit.

A huge draw to Homestead Farm is it's central location. Head 17 miles north and you will find yourself in the heart of downtown Denver (and only 2.5 miles from I-25 makes this seem even closer). All of the attractions of the Mile High City are only a half an hour drive from home. If shopping is what you crave, you only have to head 3.5 miles to the southeast and you will find yourself at one of the largest and nicest malls in the country: Park Meadows. Or, on your way downtown, stop off in Denver's famous Cherry Creek area, where you can find anything and everything as far as food and shopping is concerned. Go west two miles and you have The Streets at Southglen; a beautifully redone outdoor mall.
Something that gets overlooked more than it should is proximity to groceries. In Homestead Farm you are only a mile from two King Soopers grocers, and two miles from Whole Foods and Natural Grocers (both located at The Streets at Southglen). Don't have enough time to make coffee on your way out the door? Fear not; Starbucks is located less than a mile north of the neighborhood.
Staying healthy and fit is at the top of everyone's to-do list, but we often find any excuse under the sun not to work out. That won't fly here. There is a less-than-year-old Lifetime Fitness less than a 1/4 mile from the south entrance to the neighborhood. Not only is the place big enough to get lost in, it has indoor basketball, an indoor soccer field, racquetball, a 28,000 square foot workout room with both aerobic and weights, an indoor lap pool, an indoor rec pool and an enormous outdoor pool that resembles a water park. You have to make reservations for the kids to get some time to exercise? Don't worry, they thought of that too; there is a day care facility in Lifetime if the kids aren't old enough to go play on their own.
Homestead farm is also located in the South Suburban Parks & Recreation district, which means great parks throughout the area as well as a great public golf course (South Suburban Golf Course) just a mile to the south of the neighborhood. There youth leagues in a ton of different sports through South Suburban along with adult leagues. Members benefit from discounted greens fees, admission to the rec centers, and other promotional offers throughout the year.

Invest Now

Did you know that Denver is currently the #2 rental market in the country? With demand higher than it has ever been in the Mile High City for rental properties, vacancy rates are at all time lows (my dad's company, Simpson Housing Group, currently has occupancy levels around 95% for their Denver properties). Factor in some of the great deals you can find on short sales and bank-owned properties and this is the perfect time to buy an investment property (property you own and lease out, acting as the landlord or having a property management company help out). Rates are also at history lows (as everyone knows from all of the ads constantly playing) which means you can get a property below market value, with a super low interest rate, in a market that you can almost instantly lease it out. If any of this sounds intriguing to you, contact me, follow me, or comment and let's get you in an ownership position that is comfortable to you. Happy hunting.